December 2010

Timber Processing’s December issue spotlights the importance of maintaining saw filing capacity and saw performance, even during slow production periods. Also featured are the highly respected Austrian company Johann Offner and Texas’s Smith Sawmill Service, which has hit its two-decade mark. The issue highlights Cut Technologies, which has made key investments in order to work through the downturn. The Newsfeed section announces the beginning of construction of a new biopower plant, and, as in each issue, the Product Scanner section highlights new products.

Maintaining saw filing capacity and saw performance is critical, even during slow production periods. During times of tough lumber markets, and especially during the past two-plus years that are almost unprecedented in the lumber industry in terms of production and price drop-offs, filing rooms are as heavily affected as any other mill area.

Leading the Way

In general, things in Europe are a lot older than things in America—one of the reasons many Americans tend to be so fascinated with Europe and all things European. Europe has a richness of culture, history and architecture that dates back to before the U.S., as we know it, had its earliest non-native settlements.

At Your Service

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Smith Sawmill Service, a family-owned saw and knife repair shop, cutting tools manufacturer, and equipment parts distributor. The year also saw a reversal of the sales slump of the last year or so, signaling what owner Paul Smith hopes is the beginning of another growth cycle in the economy.

A Touch of Europe

The last few years may have been a roller coaster ride for anyone involved in the forest products industry, but with a quality product, a willingness to adapt to the market conditions, and a flare for ingenuity, the management team and staff at Cut Technologies have proven that you can be successful in a struggling market.

Machinery Row

Caterpillar Forest Products added four employees to fill positions in operations, marketing and sales and announced two promotions. As operations and supply manager, Faith Wood is responsible for manufacturing and purchasing operations at the forestry equipment manufacturing plants in LaGrange, Ga., Owatonna, Minn., and Prentice, Wis. Michael Greco was hired as mill yard product specialist, a new position in Caterpillar Forest Products marketing.

Product Scanner 10

Wright Machine Tool Co. has released a honing system for sawmill and other wood cutting band saws. The patented micro-honing system gives a razor edge to every tooth by honing both the face and top of each tooth with micro-grain abrasives. The concept of honing band saws will revolutionize the sharpening systems, says company President Duncan McLean.